The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-25


would be a great help if every young man
studying for the Gospel ministry could put
himself in the homo. and heart, and syInpa-
thy, and under the benediction and perpet-
ual presence of Christian minister.
But remark again, the religious dis
course OF the future will be an awakening
sermon. From altar rail to the front door
step under that sermon an audience will get
up and start for heaven. There will be in
it many a staccato passage. 1t will not be
lullaby; it will be q battle charge. Men
will drop their sins for they will feel the
hot breath of pursuing retributiou on the
back of their necks. 1t will be sympathetic
with all the physical distresses as well as the
spiritual diStreSses OF the world. Christ
not only preached but He healed paralysis,
and He healed epilepsy, and He healed the
dumb and the blind and ten lepers,
That religious discourse of the future will
be an everyday sermon, going right down
into every mans life, and it will teach him
how to vote how to bargain, how to plow,
how to do any work he is called to, how To
WELD trowel and pen and pencil and yard
stick and plane. And it viii teach women
how to preside over their households, and
how to educate their children, and how to
initiate Miriam and Esther and Vashti and
Eunice, the mother Of Timothy, and Mary,
the mother of Christ; and those women
who on Northern and Southern battleiields
were mistaken by the wounded for angels of
mercy fresh from the throne of God.
Yes, have to tell you the religious dis
course of the future will be reported ser
mon If you have any idea that printing
was invented simply to print secular books
and stenography and photography were
contrived merely to set forth secular ideas,
you are mistaken. The printing press is to
be the great agency of gospel proclamation
II is high time that good men, instead OF de-
nouncing the press employ 1t to scatter
forth the gospel qf Jesus Christ. The vast
majority of people in our cities do not come
to church, and nothing but the printed ser
mon can reach them and call them to par
don, and life, and peace, and heaven.
So cannot understand the nervousness of
some of my brethren 9f the ministry.
When they see a newspaper man coming In
they say: "Alas, there is reporter" Every
added reporter is ten thousand, fifty thou
sand, hundred thousand immortal souls
added to the auditory. The time will come
when all the village, town, and city news
papers will reproduce the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, and sermons preached on the Sab
bath will reverberate all around the world
and, some by type, and some by voice, all
nations will be evangelical.
The practical bearing of this Is upon
those who are engaged in Christian work,
not only upon theological students and
young ministers, but upon all who preach
the gospel, and all who exhort in meetings,
and that is all of you if you are doing your
duty Do you exhort In prayer meeting
Be short and be spirited. Do you teach in
Bible classl Though you have to study
every night he interesting. Do you accost
people on the subject of religion in their
homes or in public places' Study adroit-
ness and use common sense. The most
graceful and most beautiful thing on earth
is the religion of Jesus Christ, and If you
awkwardly present it, it is defamation. We
must do our work rapidly, and we must do
it effectively. Soon our time for work will
be gone.
A dying Christian took out his watch and
gave 1t to a friend and said: Take 4.
watch, | have no more use for it; time rs
ended for me and eternity begins" Oh, my
friends, when our watch has ticked away
for us the last moment, and our clock has
struck for us the last hour may il be found
we did our work well, that we did il In the
very best way, and whether we preached
tho Gospel in pulpits or taught Sabbath
classes, or administered to the sick as physi-
clans, or bargained as merchants or plead
the law as attorneys, or were busy as arti-
sans, or as hlisbandmen, or as mechanics,
or were like Martha called TO give
meal to a hungry Christ, or like
Hannah to make a coat for "A prophet, or
llke DeIOThH 10 TOuss bno C1tlTdBe OI SOIne
timid Barak in the Lords Conflict, we did
our work in such a way that it will stand
the test Of the Judgment. And in the long
procession of the redeemed that march
around the throne, may it be found there
are many there brought to God through our
instrumentality, and in Whose rescue we are
exultant.
But, o We unsaved, wait not for that re-
hgious discourse of the future. 1t may
come after your obscquies. Ii may come
after the stone-cutter has chiseled our name
on tho slab, fifty years before. Do not wait
for great steamer of the Cunard or White
Star line to take you Off the wreck, but hail
the first craft, with however low atmast, and
however small n hulk, and however poor a
rudder and however weak captain.
Better disabled schooner that comes up in
time than full-rigged brig that comes up
after you have sunken.
Instead of waiting for that religious dis
course OF the future--it may be forty, fifty
years off-take this plain imitation Of a
nian who, TO have given you Spiritual eye
sight, would be glad to be called the spittle
by the hand Of Christ put on the eyes of u
blind man: and who would consider the
highest compliment Of this service, IL at the
close five hundred men should start from
these doors, saying: whether he be n
sinner or no, know not. This one thing
know, whereas | was blind now / see"
Swifter than shadows over the plain,
quicker than birds in their autumnal flight,
hastier than eagles TO their prey, HE you to
a sympathetic Christ. The orchestras of
ments TO celebrate your rescue.
''And many were the voices around the throne; /;
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back his own"